Apparatus for recording motion and sound



R. D. GRAY.

APPARATUS FOR RECORDING MOTION AND SOUND. APPLICATION HLED AUG-4. 1920.

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APPARATUS FOR RECORDING MOTION AND SOUND. APPLICATIDN man 15.4. I920.

1,384,612. Patented July 12,1921.

WITNESS 8 MWENTOR 0 J6 IPOEEFTD. @PA) H. D. GRAY.

APPARATUS FOR RECORDING MOTION AND SOUND.

APPL'CATHJH FILED AUG-4, I920. 1,384,61 2. Patented July 12, 1921.

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ROBERT D. GRAY. OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR RECORDING MOTION AND SOUND.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. GRAY, a

'' citizen of'the United States, and a resident 7 filmanda sound record in synchronism.

Theobject of the invention is to provide a new'and'improved apparatus for recording motion and'sound arranged to encompass a number of performers, say actors, speakers, singers players of musical instruments or '7 other sound producing media, distributed'on a stage or other support for producing both a kinetoscopic record and a sound record.

'iXnother object is to provide a sound reflector capable of receiving the sounds from one era plurality of sound producing media, toroncentrate the same and to deliverthe concentrated sounds to a sound recorder to tran s'tribe and record the meaning of the sounds for reproduction akin to the original sounds emanating from the actors, singers, musical-instruments or other sound producing media." Another object is to provide a reflector capable of picking up sounds, even the faintest, emanating from the sound producing media distributed across a stage, with practically equal intensity, and to transmit such picked-up sounds to the sound recorder.

Another obj cct is to improve the recording of sounds. first, by providing a sound reflector having curved surfaces which have one focus at approximately the same point within the sound reflector and the second iocus at different points upon the stage thus allowing some latitude of movement to the actors; and, second, to provide a receiver adapted to receive sounds over a considerable area. in the neighborhood of the common fo us point.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features o construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

I\ practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Specificatioaof Letters Patent.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improved apparatus for recording motion and sound; 7

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the sound reflector viewed along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 33 of Fig. 1 and with the sound rece ver and recorder omitted;

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional plan View of the same on the line 44 of Fig. 2; i Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional side elevat1on of a modified form of the sound receiver;

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the same on the line 66of-Fig.5; i .3

F 7 's an enlarged sectional side elevation of another modified forin of the sound receiver; and

Fig. 8 is across section of the same on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

In recording sound for phonographic purposes as now generally practised the singers, speakers, playersof musical instruments and like performers are located in close Iproximity to the mouth of a large born for gathering the sounds an'dconducting the same to the diaphragm of asound recording machine of usual constructionf By this niode of recording sound considerable'of the finer qualities and the naturalness and particularly the soft and melodious portions ofthe sounds produced by the performers are lost and not reproduced. On account of requiring crowding of the performers in'front of the horn it is practically impossible to produce simultaneously satisfactory sound records and motion records of the performers especially the motion records owing to the absence of the free motions and actions of the players as usually witnessed, for instance, during a play, opera or other regula 1' performances on the speaking stage, or as enacted silently bythe moving picture actors and similar performers of the unspoken word.

The improved apparatus for recording motion and sound in its general construction comprises a stage 10, a sound reflector 11 in front of the stage 10, a sound receiver 12 located within the sound reflector 11 at the acoustic focus, a sound recorder 13 arranged outside of the sound reflector 11 and connected with the said sound receiver 12, and a moving picture camera 14 ar ranged outside of the sound reflector 11 but having its objective 15 arranged within the sound reflector 1 1, the said moving picture Patented July 12., 1921.

Application filed August 4, 1920. Seria1 No. 401,178.

camera 14 being arranged to encompass ter or hall.

the scenery and players on the stage 10. The stage 10 is provided with the usual footlights 16 and the headlights 17' for properly illuminating the scenery and the performers on the stage 10. The sound'reflector 11 takes the place of the usual auditorium of a thea- The sound reflector consists of a ho llow body having an interior curvilinear surface formed of sound reflecting segments, as hereinafter more fully explamed The base or mouth. ofthesound. reflector body isdisposed a vertical plane coinciding with the front edge ofthestage 10 and the said mouth: joins the stake opening or proscenium. The-horizontal axis-2O 0t thesound reflector llnextendsa-;dijstanoe ,aboveithe floor 21 of the stageclo, cbliiefsponding approximately: tothat o f-.,t he, height oijan average person,,a nd thevp'erformers on the stage face the sound reflector llrthe same as they usually do an audienQQ-ESDJ that the Sounds m tted.l n he-p nf.ormersg ory hos emanating from, the instrument: played: by the performers, pass into the sound reflector 11 to be reflected to. the sound receiving means 12. r,

. The sonnd refiectingseg'gments of the sound-reflector 11 comprisepreferably two parabolic side se 'me'nts 30,31, top and bottom elliptic segments 32, 33 and four corner elliptic segments 3d,;35, ,36-and 31; .-.;,The

anabolic andelliptic segmentsaforming the 1111181?" surface of tha -sound reflector ll are preferably formed; ofdampened fiber bent to the correspondin, shapesandtacked to a suitable framework, or .the. segmcnts maybe formed of the usual lath and plaster. The edges of adjacent segments owing to their different curvature may not join throughout their length but leave spaces between them which should be closed by thin walls disposed radially -,relative to the. axis 20. The common foci of the sound reflecting segments 30, 31, 32, 33, 34,155,.36 and 37 are at the axis 20 of the sound reflector, and the said for-i preferably coincide,- as indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The other foci of the top and bottom elliptic segments 32 and 33 coincide at a point 40 located at the axis 20 at the sta e 10, the said axis 20 being the major axis 0 the elliptic segments 32 and 33. The major axes 41 and 42 of the corner elliptic segments 34. 36 and 35, 37 are in the horizontal plane of the axis 20 but diverge relative to the axis 20, and their other foci 43. 44 are located in a horizontal transverse line 45 passing through the point 40. and the said foci 43 and 44 are spaced equal distances from the point 40, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 4. It will be noticed that by the arrangement de scribed sounds coming from the stage into the sound reflector 11 and striking the side or parabolic segments 30, 31 are reflected by the latter to the sound receiver 12 located in. the vertex of the sound reflector with its axis coinciding with the axis 20 and extending in the front and rear of the common foci of the sound reflecting segments. A parabola, having but one focus,.is"'operative only on waves traveling parallel with its major axis. "In a stage performance the sounds emanate from a line, across the stage at every pointin a horizontal line, and since sounds from these points can be reflected to the focus of a parabola only by a restricted segment of its surface, a horizontal segment, it follows that all sound waves produced by theactors that deviate materially from the horizontah; require a difierent curve than a parabola, to focus them as desired. Therefore,.the-segments 32- 3 3 are made of ellip tical ,form' which rcflectthe sounds to the sound receiver 12, and. the sounds coming from the stage toward thecornersof ,the reflector, 11 are reflected. bygthe corner elliptic s gment i ,:?a6.-. nd ?.tethe Sound ceiver l2. .Thns the yariousisounds coming front-the difierent parts of the stage into thereflector 11 are concentrated at the focus and are taken up by the sound transmitter and transmitted bythe latter to the sound recorder 13 to be recorded-thereon in their concentrated and intensified condition. Ex-

act proportions and character of the reflectng s ments may be modified in accordance ,with t e breadth of the stage and to give predominance in intensity ofsounds in the record from any particular part of the stage, onto equalize inherent difl'erenccs of loudness in voice or instrument. The drawings show a combination of segmental reflectors intended to give approximately equal emphasis in the records of sounds produced at all ponts on the stage line.

It is understood that a moving picture record istaltcn of the performers on the stage by the moving picture camera 14 whirh operates by a suitable mechanism (not shown) in syn'hronism with the sound reorder 13 thereby producing sound records and moving pi -ture films which are in synchronism and can be reproduced as such. The sound receiver 12 may be of various forms. As shown in Fig: 1. it consists of a series of horns or funnels 50 having their common axis coinciding with the axis 20 of the sound reflector 11. The horns or funnels 50 are nested in spaced relation with their months 51 extending toward the stage. The rear-most horn or funnel has its shaul: 52 extending through the vertex of the sound reflector 11 and its outer end connects with the sound recorder 13. By reference to Fig. 1, it will be noticed. that the mouth edges of. the several horns are gradually curved farther back to readily 'catch the sounds reflected forwardly from the vertex portion of the sound reflector 1]. The several horns 50 encompass the acoustic foci of the several reflecting segments 30 to 37 and hence none of the sounds passing into the sound reflector 11 is lost and even the faintest sounds are received and transmitted to the sound recorder 13. 1

The sound, receiver-12, shown in Figs. 5 and 6, consists essentially of a,tubul,ar. or

cylindrical structure having/its Y peripheral face formed of sets of segments 60 of aluminum or other stiff material attached to the outer, forked ends ,0 fradialrods 61; terminating in balls orknobs 62 engaging thei bev eled peripheral tfaces of disks 63 attached to a central nod ,64 coinciding'with the axis 20. ,Therod 64 is mounted to slide inheads 65 and 66* forming part ofa skeletouirame having the, head -65 attached toigthe vertex partof the "sound eflectOrJIInQ-The 65 and 6fiare connectediwith each .cthepby rods 67 which fsupport disks.. .8 -e xt ending between adjacent sets of, .segments 6O. The disks '68 are .provided givith-'guide'--,a rms ,69

for tlieira i l misfit, andath seute i est dis s reicon ect dd l exile bands 70 with the-adjacent edges 'offt he {sets of segments 60, and similar bands/71 .andrZQ connect the outermost, j and;.inne r xnost sections 60 ,Witlrthe disk 66 and with .a-tubeifi forming .part of the inner head 65 -,o.,t h skeleton frame, The bands. 7Q,. i71 and .72 hold the segmentsGO in {spaced relation-with each V other and a low; ind p n nt-action. of each segment 60. -,.A spring This ceiled on the'ninnerj end of t erod-G l and abuts with oneiend on "the disr 66andpressesnvithyits other endqon-a nut,755held,,on the end of the rod 64. The rearendof the rod fie extends through anopening-flfi atthegverteig ofthe sound reflector ll and'this end cannects with the sound recorder ,13. ,It will be noticed thatthe sounds refiectediby the sound refiector;11 strike 'the segments (SO-and the 'force of the-impact causes the segments 60 to move inward and in doing so the balls 62 pressing on the beveled edges ofthedisks 63 cause the latter and their rod (34 to move to the left against the tension of the spring 74, which latter returns the rod (34 and disks 63 .to normal position as soon as the force of the impact is spent. By the arrangement described the rod 64 is actuated by thereflected sounds and the latter are thus TIB- corded on the sound recorder. 13. I

The modified sound 1'e"eiver 12, shown in Figs. 7 and 8, consists essentially of a shell 80, polygonal in cross section and made'ofa flexible material such as. oiled silk .or'like fabric. The shell-8O i's'stretched onrods 81 attached to the vertex portion of the sound reflector 11 and the forward endof the shell is closed by a rigid disk 82 mounted on the rods 81. A:diaphragln 84 within the shell 80 is in contactw'iththe shell and is attached to a central rod 85 connected with thesound,recorder13." The vertex portion of the sound reflector 11 is provided with an opening 86 in register With the shell 80 to prevent back pressure therein. It Will be noticed that the sounds reflected .by the sound reflector 11 strike a corresponding side of the -s hell 80 and the impact forces such. (side inward thusycompressing the air iv i thin the shell bet vcen the liaphragm 84 and the solid head 82. 1 The compressed air thus vibrates the diaphragm 84- correspond iugly, and the soundisrg-orded bythe sound e orded 3 o n cte wi h th diaphragm by the rod S5. H ltimexpressly understood that the'sound receiver l2 located at the common focus of the reflecting segments of thesound refi to allmn seacl d. r e is ,e sufficient lengthto. e rtend forward and rear wardgbeypnd the focus tofjntercept or pick up 'sonndsthat ,comefron other; planes than thatrdescribedby points-40; 4:3 and 44, j s lt;jaunderstoodgthat the sound reflector .11 is ige hierg ns n comm ra with. that st l s a e? 10 O theater (if ugrial size, eby arranging the sound receiver. .-as aboveset forth no particular or unusualyooall effort or positioning is required on the part of the. performer or pen formersao insure proper recording of the sounds,; a t rtlmg same"timethe performer or performers can prope1'ly .renact any desired scenegon; the; stage, suchscene being recorded by thsmovringpictureeamera 14in synchronism ivithjthetrecording machine 13. HaIvingcthus .described my invention; 1 claim as newand desireto secure by Letters 38 m? "3 jun a! U 1. In an apparatus of the class described. ,a support for thesoun'd producing media, a reflectonin front of the said support and having.itsbasenlfacing the support, the said r'efiectorwbeing formed of elliptic and para boliqsegments; havingyone common focal point and certain of said segments having a common axis, and a sound: receiver having its axis coinciding 'withisaid common axis of the reflector segments and having receiving means located at the said common focal i I V: I i

2. In an apparatus of the class described. asupport for the sound producing media. areflector fin-front ofthe said support and havingits base facing the support, the said reflector being formed of elliptic segments V fiector being formed of a support for the sound producing media, a reflector in front of the said support and having its base facing the support, the said reflector being formed of elliptic segments having one common axis, and a sound re ceiver having its axis coinciding with'the said common axis, the said support being arranged to support the sound producing media approximately in a horizontal transverse line crossing the axis of the reflector approximately at the other focus offthe ellipses of which the said elliptic Segments form parts.

LA sound reflector having its interior surface formed of elliptic and parabolics'eg' ments having a common axis, thefelliptic segments having a common' acoustic ideas located in the said common akisl i F? 5. A sound reflector provided with-elliptic segments having one of their fo'ci located within the reflector, and the otheroutside thereof, sundry of the said elliptic segments having the other foci outside of the reflector at a point in the said commoniaxis and trait t'ance from the base'of'the reflectoflandtlie other elliptic segments having th other foci of their ellipses in a horizontallineflinfei sectiug the common axis at the said point, the said other foci beingspaced approximately equal distances from the said points (i A sound reflector. having its "interior surface formed ofseiginentsfbfvvhichthe side segments are parabolic andtlietop, bot tom and corner segments are elliptic, the sjid elliptic segments having a "common: focus located within the reflector, thetop Qua tet tom elliptic segments having the other-tau of their ellipses coinciding eta-point a distance outward from the base-ofitlie" reflector, and the said elliptic corner seg'ments having the other foci of their'ellipse's locatd'in a horizontal line intersectingth'e common axis at the said point, the said other foci' ofthe corner segments'being spaced approximately equal distances from the said pointnh- 51" j 7. In an apparatus of tl'iec'las's" described,

a stage having a floorada'ptedto support sound producing media ranging in atran'sverse line a distance above the floor, a sound reflector arranged in front of the said stage and having its base in a vertical plane-at the front of the stage, the said sound re; segments of which the sideseginents are parabolic and the top, bottom and corner segments are elliptic, the said top, bottom and side segments having a common horizontal axis intersecting" said horizontal stage line at a right angle, the said elliptic segmentshaving their -focnat the said axis within the reflector. the top and bottom elliptic segments having' their other-fed at the intersection of-ths-saici axis and the transverse stage line, the said corner elliptic segments having the other fociof'their ellipses at"the said'stage line at opposite sides of the said point of intersection and spaced therefrom, the said para bolic segments having their focus at the common axis Within thereflector,'a sound receiver having receiving means encompassing b'otli foci of the said'elliptic and parabolic se ments; and a sound'recording instrument located outside of the"-reflector and convertex of the reflector. i 85111 an apparatus of the classklescribed, a stageh'aving a floor-adapted to support sound producing: media ranging in a trans v rse iine i a distance above the floor; a sound reflector arrange *in front ofthesaidstage and having its base in a vertical lane at the irnt oaths sta'geg' th'e and sound *refl'ector being formed of segments ofwhieli the side are parabolic and" the top', bottom add corne se ments'are' elli tic, the said top, bottomand side 'segments'havinga'com intersecting 'said horif n'ecte'd With the saidsou'id' receiver at the ih bnd'iorizbntal axis zonftalf staige "'llile "at a "right" angle,: the; said elliptic segniefitshavin their fociat the said-ans within the re ect'oiy 'thetop and Bottom ellrpti'c segments having their other f'q'ei dfitlifiiitiersedtion oi the said axis and the tran verse stageline, 'the said 5 corner elliptic segmen tsjihaiving the other "fo'crof thelr' ellipse ht-the said stage line at oppo f 't'e' sides of the said point of intersection and" spacedaperefrom; the said parabolic scgments having their focus at the common axis; within the reflector, a sound receiver having-receiving means encompassing both foci of the said elliptic and parabolic segments, l nd a sio u'nd "recording instrument located outside of the reflectorand connected with the "said' sound receiver at the' focus near the vertei'ro'f the reflector. i

9. In an apparatus ofthe class described, a supportfor sound producing media, a reflector in front of the said support and having its base'facing the support, the said reflector'being formed of segments of conic sections having one'common focus and certainof said segments having 'a'common axis, others of said segments having their axes disposed at an angle to the said common axis, and a sound receiver located at the said common focus. p

10. A sound reflector having'its interior surface formed of segments of conic sections having one common focus located with; in the reflector, the top and bottom segments having their other foci coinciding at a point a distance outward from the base of the reflector, and the said corner segments having the other foci located in a horizontal line intersecting the common axis at the said point, the said other foci of'the corner segments being spacedfapproximately equal distances from the said point. 7

ROBERT D GRAY. 

